Unternehmen & Trends - Ausgabe 1/2018

Digitization has become a key business pri- ority, as companies come to recognize the need to approach digital transformation from a strategic standpoint. Investments in new technologies, processes and developing new business models are vital – as is the creativi- ty and courage to implement new concepts and processes. But digitization also carries a risk: those who do not constantly develop their company cannot keep pace with their competitors. “The need to optimize processes affects not only production, but also areas like ener- gy efficiency, supply chain management and industrial supply,” reports Dr. Jochen Köckler, Chairman of the Deutsche Messe Managing Board. “Digitization is the only way to network all of the partners along the supply chain. This is a matter of holistic solutions, not just the individual links in the chain.” The added value thus created is already influ- encing the future of industry. To learn more, a visit to HANNOVER MESSE – the world’s leading trade fair for industrial technology – is a must. There, the topic of Industry 4.0 is illuminated in all its facets like nowhere else. The structure of HANNOVER MESSE is constantly changing to accommodate com- prehensive solutions for production, energy systems and logistics processes. In 2018 this interaction will be even clearer, as CeMAT, the world fair for intralogistics and supply chain management, takes place for the first time in co-location with HANNOVER MESSE. From 23 to 27 April, trade visitors from all over the world will come to Hannover to experi- ence the innovations of around 6,000 exhi- bitors. These include decision-makers from industry, business and politics. Top topics in- clude Industry 4.0, integrated energy systems, Logistics 4.0 solutions and human-machine communication, including machines and IT for the factory of the future, charging infra- structures for electric mobility, fully automa- ted warehouses and adaptive cobots. Based on one of its cornerstones, connecti- vity, Industry 4.0 is facilitating new ways of working and doing business. This is why “In- tegrated Industry – Connect & Collaborate” constitutes the lead theme of HANNOVER MESSE 2018. Industrial enterprises must re- cognize and seize the opportunities presen- ted by digitization. The way manufacturers implement these new technologies will have a lasting impact on industry and society as a whole. Digital transformation is also opening up new opportunities for people, as robots perform heavy, monotonous or dangerous tasks. Exo- skeletons provide support for strenuous jobs in factories, plants and warehouses. Techno- HANNOVER MESSE 2018 Connect & collaborate Artificial intelligence is paving the way to self-controlling machines, while power grids are digitally networked for decentralized operation of power plants. Meanwhile exoskeletons are taking the load off factory workers and autonomous shuttles are turning warehouse operations into highly choreographed affairs. Whether it involves manu- facturing, the energy sector or logistics, digitization is creating new opportunities and new business models – not just for large corporations, but also for small and medium-sized enterprises. At HANNOVER MESSE 2018, the keyword is “connectivity”. 64  Unternehmen & Trends Images: © Deutsche Messe